Athens, 28 April 2004 - The Russian team today won four medals and, with a total of 11 medals, climbed to top place in the medals chart for the ISSF World Shooting Cup that is being held at the Markopoulo Olympic Shooting Centre, leaving China, with ten medals, in second place.

Russia¡¯s Women shooters dominated the 50m Rifle 3 Positions event, with three of them went through to take up three of the eight slots in the final, with two of them going on to win medals, joined by an athlete from the Ukraine. All this in an exciting final, whose outcome was decided by a single extra shot in a ranking contest.Russian Tatiana GOLDOBINA, Sydney silver medallist, who was also the winner in the 10m Air Rifle, took first place with 681.5 points (582+99.5), with her compatriot Lioubov GALKINA (fourth in Sydney in the Air Rifle) taking second place with 681.2 points (581+100.2), followed by the silver medallist in the 2002 World Championships held in Lahti, Finland, Natalia KALNYSH (Ukraine) with 681.2 points (582+99.2).

The leading Greek shooter was Vasso PAPACHRISTOU, ranked 26th with 573/600. Xenia EVANGELINOU was ranked 61st with 557/600, and Zacharoula BIRI 63rd with 555/600. A total of 69 Women shooters took part.Mina ALMOUZOU and Lia BENEKI participated as wildcard entries, scoring 563/600 and 545/600 points respectively.

The winner in the 10m Running Target event was Miroslav JANUS (Czech Republic), bronze medallist in Atlanta, with 685.5 points (586+99.5), with the 2002 World Champion, Dimitri LYKIN (Russia), ranked second with 682.6 points (582+100.6), leaving in third place his compatriot Alexander BLINDOV with 681.3 points (583+98.3). Two Germans took up fourth and fifth place: Manfred KURZER (1994 World Champion in Milan) with 697.7 points (580.99.7), and Michael JAKOSITS with 687.3 points (579+99.3).

Thodoris KARPIDAS, with 496/600, was ranked last among the 31 shooters.

The Men¡¯s Skeet event begins at 08:30, with Sydney gold medallist Mykola MILCHEV (Ukraine) and Olympic bronze medallist James GRAVES (USA) participating. Some of the best-known names in the sport will also be taking part, such as Italians Ennio FALCO (Atlanta gold medallist) and Andrea BENELLI (Atlanta bronze medallist), American Shawn DULOHERY (2001 World Champion in Cairo), and Dutchman Hennie DOMPELING (4th finalist in Sydney). The Cyprus team, which are the current World Champions, are also participating (with some additions in the team¡¯s composition), with Antonis NIKOLAIDIS, Giorgos ACHILLEOS, Antonis ANDREOU, Christos KOURTELAS and Kyriakos CHRISTOFOROU. Greek participants include Giorgos SALAVANTAKIS, Efthymios MITTAS and Alexandros EXARCHOU.